Pipe-wrench.



G. H. MOCREADY.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLIOATION FILED 110v. 9, 190a.

PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

2 SHEETSBHBET 1.

UNITED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

CHARLES H. h'loCREADY, OF YOKOHAMA, JAPAN.

PlPE-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 782,043, dated February7, 1905.

Application filed November 9,1903. Serial No. 180,289.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MGCREADY, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Yokohama, Japan, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Piperenches, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates in general to pipewrenches or wrenches designed tograsp a cylindrical object, and more specifically consists of animproved form of wrench to be made in large sizes to grasp and revolvethe long vertical tubes used in boring wells sunk in the earth to reachoil-bearing or other strata.

in certain kinds of ground such wells can be most advantageously sunk bymeans of a metal tube having its lower end serrated to form teeth andgiving a continuous rotation to such tube while held in a verticalposition. My invention is designed to effect this rotation mostconveniently and at the same time not interfere with the downwardfeeding of the tube.

The preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention is illustrated inthe accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure l is a planview of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section on line 2 2of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a detail edge view of thathalf of the cam-plate towhich a handle is attached for setting the jaws of the wrench intoaction. Fig. e is a plan view of the same. Fig. is a plan view of thebottom ring of the main frame. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same, andFig. 7 is a detail view of one of the radiall y-sliding jaws withgripping-roller mounted therein.

Throughout the drawings like referenceligures indicate like parts.

1 indicates the tube with which the boring is to be done or the pipewhich is to be rotated. l have also shown in broken lines tubes ofsmaller diameter 1 and 1 to which the wrench may be adjusted.

The main frame of the wrench is preferably made circular in form andcomprises the bottom ringZ, formed in halves 2 2, (see Fig. 5,)

! the top ring 3, also formed in halves 3 3", and a series ofconnecting-bolts 1 l, &c. Between these rings are located theradially-sliding jaws 5 5, which are guided between the bolts -1L 4..Any desired form of antifriction apparatus may be used to reduce thefriction at these points. In the inner ends of the sliding jaws arejournaled or otherwise mounted rollers 6 6, &c., as by means of thejournals 6 6, &c'. These rollers are preferably made with concentriccorrugations or have their surfaces otherwise roughened, so as to mosteffectively bite the surface of the pipe or tube. These rollers arepreferably made with curved operating-surfaces,as shown, the curvatureof the surface being of a radius equal to the average radius of the pipeor tube to be operated on. The said rollers are preferably journaled onaxes at right angles to the axis of the pipe which is to be grasped.

The sliding jaws 5 5 are preferably provided with aseries of pins 7 7 7&c., which are adapted to engage the eccentric cam-ribs 9 9 on thecam-plate 8, which cam-plate is located between the rims .2 and 3 andguided between the bolts 1. This cam-plate 8 is also preferably made inhalves S 8" and provided with abutting lugs 18 18 at the meeting edgesof said half-sections, so as to prevent one part sliding by the otherthrough any slight disarrangement. The half 8 of the cam-plate isprovided with a handle 10, on which is mounted a locking-pawl 11,adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-teeth 12 on the top ring 3 of themain frame. This locking-pawlis controlled by the latch13 in thewell-known way, which is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

The upper ring3 of the main frame is provided with perforated lugs 1i 1%at the abutting ends of its half-sections, and the bolts 15 15 onpassing through said perforated lugs lock the two halves together. In asimilar way the half 2 on the bottom ring 2 is provided withlatch-plates 16 16, having perforations which hook over projections 1717 on the other half 2" of said bottom ring.

On the under side of the bottom ring 2 is a circular rib-plate 19,attached thereto in any convenient manner so that rotation of thecircular rib 19 will cause a rotation of the wrench. This circular ribhas formed on its under side or attached thereto a toothed rack 19",with which a pinion 20 on the shaft 21 engages, as shown in Fig. 2.

The whole apparatus rests on any convenient supporting-frame,such as thebeams 23 23, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) on the upper surface of which arejournaled a series of antifrictionwheels 22 22, which are journaled inhearings on the supporting-frame and inclined at an angle to the planeof the horizon, so as to engage the rib 19 on opposite sides and supportand guide the same during its rotation, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: The parts beingassembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the corrugated rollers 6 6 areforced into engagement with the pipe or tube 1 by seizing thehandle 10of the cam-plate and forcing the same in the direction shown by thearrow in Fig. 1. This causes the eccentric cam-ribs 9 9, engaging thepins 7 7 to force the radially-sliding jaws inward and the locking-pawl11,dropping in between the ratchet-teeth, locks the parts in the finalposition of adjustment. Rotation of the shaft 21 by means of anysuitable power device (not shown) then causes the entire wrench torotate, and the latter carries around with it the pipe or tube 1. As thepipe sinkslower and lower into the well, which is bored out by itsaction, the gripping-rollers 6 6 rotate freely in their journals 6 andpermit the downward motion of the tube, so that the entire weightthereof is operative in forcing it downward. When it is desired torelease the pipe from the wrench, the pawl 11 is tripped by means of thelatch 13 and the handle 10 moved in the direction opposite to that ofthe arrow shown in Fig. 1, thereby withdrawing the jaws from engagement.When the wrench is to be taken apart, the bolts 15 15 are withdrawn andthe half 2* of the bottom ring liftedup suflicientl y to disengage thelatch-plates 16 16 from the projections 17 17 on the other half, 2 Thiscompletes the disconnection of the two halves of the frame, and thecam-plate 8 being separable, as above described, the wrench can be takenaway from the pipe in two parts. When the limit of adjustment by meansof the camribs 9 9 is exceeded, the top ring 3 may be lifted up byloosening the bolts 1 4: and the jaws 5 5 slid in or out so as to bringanother pair of pins, as 7* and 7, into engagement with said cam-ribs,and the parts fastened together again in a new position. In this mannerpipes or tubes of smaller diameter can be operated on.

The advantages of my invention comprise the firmness of the grippingaction of the wrench on the pipe, so far as circular motion isconcerned, without interference with perfect freedom of endwise motionof the pipe, the facility with which the various adjustments may bemade, the ease with which the entire wrench may be divided into twoparts, and thereby removed without lifting heavy apparatus over the endof the pipe, the absence of friction resulting from the use of theinclined guiding and supporting wheels 22 22, which take up allhorizontal thrusts as well as the downward thrusts of the wrench, andthe compactness and simplicity of structure resulting from thearrangement of parts shown.

It is evident, of course, that various changes can be made in thedetails of construction illustrated in the drawings without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention, so long as the essentialfeature of the grippingrollers is preserved. Other means of producingthe setting-up action of the jaws might be substituted, and otherdevices for hooking and unhooking the parts of the wrench-frame might beemployed. These and similar variations in detail I should consider merematters of mechanical skill, and the resulting structures would be stillwithin the boundaries of my invention.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pipe-wrench, the combination of a frame comprising upper andlower rings with bolts connecting the same, radially movable jaws guidedbetween said rings and said bolts, a cam-plate also located between saidrings and guided between said bolts, and projections on said jawsengaging said cam-plate.

2. In a pipe-wrench, the combination of the circular frame, the radiallymovable jaws mounted therein, the circular cam-plate provided witheccentric cam-ribs, and a series of pins mounted in each jaw and adaptedto engage said ribs.

3. In a pipe-wrench, the combination of the circular frame, the radiallymovable jaws mounted therein, the circular cam-plate provided witheccentric cam-ribs, and a series of pins mounted in each jaw and adaptedto engage said cam-ribs, together with a circular rack fastened to theunder side of said frame, and a pinion meshing therewith.

4:. In a pipe-wrench, the combination of a frame comprising upper andlower rings with bolts connecting the same, each of said rings divideddiametrically and the halves thus formed being provided with engagingmechanism, radially-movable jaws guided between said bolts, a circularcam-plate also made in two parts with abutting ends, and also guidedbetween said bolts, and intermeshing projecguide-rib, and means forrotating said frame tions on said jaws and cam-plate. and jaws on saidguide-wheels. I 5. The combination of the horizontal circu- Signed atYokohama, Japan, this 6th day lar frame, radially-movable jaws mountedof October, 1903.

thereon, said frame having a circular rib on its CHARLES H. MOOREADY.

under side, a series of supporting and guiding WVitnesses:

wheels inclined at an angle to plane of the GENJI KURIBARA,

horizon and engaging opposite sides of the K. TOYODA.

